Why Didn't We Do This Sooner?
by elsiecarson
Summary: When the Grid starts gossiping about Harry and Ruth's relationship, after their first dinner out, Ruth is ready to pull away, but between Harry and Malcolm they manage to get her to reconsider. How the storyline would have changed.
1. I'm So Sorry

"I'm sorry, Harry. I just can't do this." Ruth begins to walk away.

Harry catches Ruth's arm. "Please Ruth, don't let the people in this office dictate our happiness. I'm sure no one's laughing. They're probably just commenting on how bloody long it took for us to do this. Malcolm doesn't mean any harm. He's just being supportive. Malcolm never gossips. He would never have passed on the information about us." Harry says seriously.

"How do you know that? Malcolm said it was news all over the Grid." Ruth gets teary as she speaks.

"I know because Malcolm came and talked to me this morning. He offered me congratulations on getting together with you. He said he heard from a doorman downstairs and he was very happy for us." Harry explains still holding Ruth's wrist.

"Oh no, I've gotten it all wrong. I have to go apologize to Malcolm. I'll be right back. I promise." Ruth kisses Harry's cheek and rushes out of his office leaving Harry behind absolutely gobsmacked.


	2. I Only Want the Best for You

"Malcolm, I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier when you made your comment about Harry and I. I should have known you were only being supportive."

"Oh my dear, you must know I only want the best for you and Harry. I didn't mean to embarrass you." Malcolm says sweetly.

"Thanks Malcolm." Ruth smiles as she walks back to Harry's office.


	3. Dinner Then?

"Feel better now?" Harry asks when Ruth re-enters the room.

"Yes, Malcolm and I worked everything out. I'm fine." Ruth leans on the inside of the doorjamb.

"Does that mean you'll go out to dinner with me again?" Harry asks hopefully.

"Yes, it means that I'll go to dinner with you again. I can't believe I ever doubted Malcolm and you. I don't know why I ever said no in the first place. It's my life, my happiness that I'm jeopardizing." Ruth says heavily.

Harry holds his arms out for Ruth and she steps into them. Harry runs his hands up and down Ruth's back. Ruth begins to cry. "Hey, hey, no tears. We solved all the problems we have at the moment and we're still together. Don't worry about anything."

Ruth wraps her arms tightly around Harry's waist. She feels so calm in Harry's arms. She leans her head on Harry's shoulder. "It's been a long day."

"Yes, it has. It's been a long couple of months. Why don't I take you home so you don't have to take the bus home?" Harry suggests.

"That sounds wonderful. Some nights I hate taking the bus home, especially really late at night." Ruth says as she runs her fingers through her hair.


	4. Interruption

"Harry, Ruth, we just got an emergency message from our operative in Egypt about this upcoming summit. They're coming a few days early to pre-scout the space for the summit. Apparently there's a situation that has come up. They should be here in a couple of days." Adam enters Harry's office. "The operative specifically wants to meet with the two of you."

"We'll have to come up with a cover story to go down to the area. We can't go to the hotel though. We'll have to have a different cover story for the summit." Harry is always thinking months ahead.

"We could use the cover story of a journalist and photographer team. We've used that story before." Ruth suggests.

"That would work. It would be a good cover story for the moment. Thank you for the information, Adam. Get as much information as possible about the rendezvous and let me know the details of it in the morning." Harry says firmly. "I'm going home."


	5. Finally!

"I'll just collect my coat and purse and I'll meet you at the pods." Ruth whispers and slips out of the office.

"Finally, Harry! We've been waiting for ages to see when you and Ruth were going to get together." Adam teases as Harry moves around his office putting his scarf and overcoat on.

"So, what's the point of saying all that Adam? You don't have to be vague with me. In fact, I prefer if you're not vague with me. I get that from politicians all too often." Harry says firmly. He hates not knowing what people are thinking.

"We're all happy for you Harry! Ruth and you are so good together. It's nice to see the two of you so happy. It's rare in this job, so it's nice to see someone find someone else to be happy with." Adam smiles at Harry.

"Thanks Adam. I'll see you tomorrow."


	6. Talking Openly

Harry exits his office and heads towards the pods. "Ready to go, Ruth?" Harry asks approaching Ruth almost cautiously.

Ruth just nods and tries not to draw attention to herself. Harry places his hand on Ruth's back and steers her into the pods.

"You've gotten very quiet, Ruth. Is everything okay? You're not uncomfortable are you?" Harry asks as he punches a button and the pod begins to move.

"Everyone knows now, don't they? I don't mind, but everything has changed as well." Ruth says quietly.

"Ruth, I hate to tell you, but everyone around here has known about our feelings for each other for ages. Even Juliet told me to stop being a prat and tell you how I feel when I went to see her in the hospital. We haven't exactly been discreet." Harry teases.

"Juliet helped you to make your decision to tell me how you feel? What did she say to you?" Ruth asks as the pod doors open.

"Juliet said she cares enough to give me a push to do something good for myself. She said that I have to stop hiding behind my job. She said to stop being stupid. She said I take risks in my professional life and maybe it's time to take some risks in my personal life. Juliet always knows how to push my buttons to force me to act." Harry and Ruth climb into his chauffeur driven car.

"Well, I'll have to thank Juliet the next time I see her. You know, she's being considerate of you considering that she's an ex-girlfriend. Do you want to have dinner at mine tonight? There's an Italian takeaway around the corner that's quite good." Ruth suggests.

"That sounds lovely. It saves me from having to try and cook." Harry sinks back into the leather of his seat.

"What about Scarlet? Do you need to go home and walk her first?" Ruth asks. She wants Harry to know she cares about his life.

"My housekeeper will stay until I get home. She'll walk Scarlet if she needs it before I get home." Harry explains.

"Your housekeeper sounds very accommodating. You're lucky to have found her." Ruth keeps the topics of conversation light since Harry's chauffeur is driving them to her house.

"She's been wonderful. She's very helpful and Scarlet likes her very much. Scarlet is my barometer for whether or not I should trust someone." Harry whispers. He knows he sounds sappy, but his dog does give him someone to come home to.

"Well lucky for me your dog likes me even though I own cats, otherwise we wouldn't be as close. Always trust your pets." Ruth says as the car pulls up at her house.


	7. Cheeky Ruth

"Sir, do you want me to stay on duty and take you home?" Harry's chauffeur asks him as the car stops.

"No Mike, it's fine. I'll get a cab home later. I'll see you tomorrow." Harry says calmly.

"Alright sir, enjoy your evening." Mike says cheekily. He watches his boss climb out of the car with the lady he loves. He waits for the couple to reach the front door before he leaves.

"Your driver is very nice. Is he new though? I don't remember him before now." Ruth says as she unlocks her door.

"The last one decided to leave because the hours are too long. Apparently I work too hard." Harry says self-deprecatingly.

"I could have told you that." Ruth teases as she walks into the kitchen.


	8. Food Choices

"Do we want white or red wine with dinner?"

"You know you're one to talk about working too hard. Let's not pick a wine until we've decided what to have for dinner." Harry calls from the sitting room.

Ruth rummages in a drawer in her kitchen for the menu for the Italian restaurant. "Normally I don't have to find the menu for this restaurant. I always know what to eat. You decide what you want though." Ruth passes Harry the menu and watches him intently as he reads.

"I think I'll get the cheese cannelloni." Harry runs his hand over his face tiredly.

"Alright, why don't you order? I want a lasagne with meat sauce. Also order a large Caesar salad and a loaf of garlic bread. I'm going to go up and put on something more comfortable. Make yourself at home." Ruth passes Harry the cordless phone.

Ruth bounces up the stairs to her bedroom. She wants to be comfortable, but not too casual with Harry in the house. She also doesn't want to leave him alone for too long.


	9. At Home

Ruth quickly changes and heads back downstairs. She heads into the sitting room and smiles at Harry. He's slipped his shoes off, loosened his tie, and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, and slipped his jacket off. "I've ordered dinner. It should be here soon. I picked a red wine. Can I pour you some?"

"Yes please. You look very comfortable, Harry." Ruth smiles and takes her glass of wine from Harry.

"Well, you did tell me to make myself at home. You look much comfier Ruth." Harry says as he sips his wine.

"I hate being in my work clothes at home. I have to be comfortable. Why, do you not have work clothes and non- work clothes?" Ruth asks as she tucks her feet under.

"No, I have work shoes and non-work shoes, but my clothes are pretty standard. I do have some clothes that are only seen when I'm on holiday though they probably don't fit anymore." Harry says teasingly. He reaches out for the bottle of wine and tops up his glass and Ruth's.

"Can I ask you something Harry?" Ruth asks as she turns to face him.

"Of course, you can ask my anything, Ruth." Harry says calmly as he watches Ruth.

"Why do you wear suspenders?" Ruth asks as she watches Harry over her wine glass which is carefully balanced on her right knee with her fingertips just touching the stem of her glass.

"I prefer suspenders to belts. Belts dig into me, but suspenders are more comfortable. I can't slouch forward wearing a belt, it's not possible." Harry explains gently.

"Well, the truth has finally come out. Harry Pearce likes to slouch when no one is watching. Isn't that interesting?" Ruth teases.

"Doesn't everyone like to slouch every once in a while whether anyone's watching or not? It feels nice." Harry slumps back into the cushy couch. "Where's your cat?"

"Fidget? He's probably upstairs hiding under my bed. He doesn't like people intruding in his space even if it is you. He doesn't mind you actually." Ruth smiles when she thinks of her cat.

"Well, at least Fidget likes me. That's just what I've always wanted: for my girlfriend's pet to like me as much as my girlfriend does." Harry teases Ruth. He realizes that they're both very relaxed and that's rare for the two of them.


	10. Birthday Present

Harry runs his fingers through Ruth's long, dark locks. She's had her hair down all day and it's been distracting him all day. Ruth plays with the cufflink on the left cuff of Harry's shirt. "What are you doing?" Harry whispers into Ruth's hair.

"I didn't notice these today, probably because your jacket was on all day; they're very lovely. I've never seen that set of cufflinks before." Ruth looks at the design on the cufflinks.

"They were a gift for my birthday from my daughter, Catherine. They're not necessarily my style, but I thought I should wear them every once in a while. I saw Catherine for lunch today and she was very happy to see me wearing the cufflinks." Harry tells Ruth.

"Oh, I never gave you your birthday present! It's still up in my study and your birthday was three days ago! I'll be right back!" Ruth dashes up the stairs to the study. She comes back a few moments later with a long, thin, blue package. "Happy birthday Harry."

"Thanks Ruth. You didn't have to get me anything." Harry says taking the package from her. their fingers brush gently as Ruth releases the package. She sits on the sofa next to Harry and waits for him to open his gift. She watches his nimble fingers untie the ribbon and carefully undo the paper. He slides the box slowly out of the paper. As he opens the lid of the box he smiles brightly, which makes Ruth's day. "It's perfect Ruth. How did you know?" Harry asks looking at the watch.

"I wouldn't be much of a spook if I didn't know. You've been wearing that old watch with no glass in it for ages. I was going to get you a pocket watch to wear so it didn't get damaged, but it's not really your style. I thought this was perfect for you when I saw it." Ruth explains gently.

Harry leans forward and kisses Ruth's cheek. "It's wonderful." He takes his old, broken watch off and puts his new, elegant watch on. He tucks his old watch into his pants pocket. "What do you think then?"

"It looks great. Why are you keeping your old watch?" Ruth asks as she snuggles into Harry's arms.

"Sentimental value. It was a gift from a mentor, a fellow spook, a person who's no longer with us. Plus, it's engraved on the back with a personal message." Harry pulls Ruth close to his chest.

"Well, if I'd known that I'd have pried your old watch off your wrist and gotten a new glass put in it." Ruth whispers.

"Your watch is equally nice. I'll treasure it always, Ruth." Harry doesn't want Ruth to think he doesn't appreciate her gift.

"You can read the inscription later." Ruth whispers sleepily.

"You had this watch inscribed with something?" Harry asks making sure he's hearing Ruth correctly.

Ruth nods her head against Harry's chest. "Just an inscription that only means something to us."

Harry shifts slightly and takes his watch off again. He turns the face over gently and reads the inscription: "So the timing's always right." Harry sighs contentedly. "Do you mean this Ruth?"

"I wouldn't have given you the watch if I didn't mean it. I don't do anything unless I mean it." Ruth admits.

Harry looks down at Ruth who immediately casts her eyes downward. "Not this time. Look at me, Ruth, really look this time. I'm not going anywhere and it's clear for the first time we're on the same page. Don't underestimate us, Ruth." Harry says as he runs his thumb across her cheek as he lowers his lips to hers. The kiss is gentle and hesitant and yet passionate and strong. Harry doesn't want to push Ruth and so he waits for her to respond. She reaches up and clutches Harry's face between her hands. Ruth can feel Harry's heart beating quickly beneath her hand. Both of them have flushed faces as they pull away from the kiss. "That was wonderful."

"It feels so right." Ruth says as harry lays back on the sofa and Ruth lays on top of him with her head on his chest.

"Did you ever think we'd be doing this? Does this feel surreal to you?" Harry asks as he continuously runs his hand through Ruth's hair. His other hand is hanging off the side of the couch and suddenly he feels a small, furry bundle rub against his hand. "I think your cat has emerged."


	11. Distracting Dinner

Ruth turns her head into Harry's chest. Just then the doorbell rings. "I'll go get dinner if you'll get the plates and cutlery and meet me back here." Harry whispers.

"Okay," Ruth says with a smile, hopping up and heading towards the kitchen. Harry heads to the front door and comes back with dinner. Ruth comes in carrying plates, cutlery, salad spoons, and parmesan cheese. "You know I'd almost forgotten all about dinner."

"Nice to know I'm so distracting." Harry says as he sits down on the floor on one side of the coffee table.

"You're just as distracting at work, you know." Ruth says as she sits down opposite him and sips her wine.

Harry smiles deviously at Ruth. "Well, that's interesting to know. Is that why you are always dropping things at work, because you find me distracting?" Harry asks putting the container with Ruth's lasagne in it on her plate.

"No, I drop files and trip because I am clumsy. I just tend to stare into space when you distract me." Ruth dishes up some Caesar salad and puts it on Harry's plate.

"Caesar salad with lots of garlic? I hope you're having some too." Harry says as he watches Ruth cut into her lasagne to let it cool.

"Of course I'm having some. I wouldn't have asked you to order a large Caesar salad if I wasn't going to have some." Ruth says piling Caesar salad onto her plate.

"That's good." Harry sprinkles his cannelloni with parmesan cheese and eats his first bite of salad.

"Why did you ask?" Ruth asks pouring them each some more wine. Harry raises an eyebrow at her. "Why did you asks about whether I was having salad or not?" Ruth asks as she loads her lasagne with parmesan cheese.

"Well, I thought if I wanted to kiss you again later and only one of us tasted of garlic it might be awkward. Do you think you've got enough cheese on there?" Harry asks as he sips his wine and raises his eyebrows at Ruth.

Ruth blushes under Harry's scrutiny. She sets the cheese down in the centre of the table. "I feel like we should be eating Japanese food."

Harry looks up from his meal pointedly into her eyes. "Is that because we're sitting on the floor?"

"Yes, I suppose so." Ruth says quietly. She's still not entirely comfortable in Harry's presence. There's something still about Harry that puts her on edge. He's still her boss.

"I think this is really nice. It makes dinner so much less formal than sitting at a table or being out at a restaurant. This is much nicer." Harry sips his wine.


	12. This is Nice

"It's nice to be away from the pressure and the prying eyes of the security services." Ruth admits.

"What do you mean?" Harry asks. Once again Ruth has managed to confuse him.

"Oh, come on, Harry. You have a driver and I know there's a security detail that follows you around. At least when we're here or at your house we don't have to have people follow us." Ruth says teasingly.

"Alright, point taken, no need to rub it in. It is nice to be away from the pressures of the job, even if my mobile has to be on all the time." Harry cuts into his cannelloni and digs out a piece, the mozzarella cheese stretching high in the air. He can see Ruth giggling at his predicament. "Don't suppose you'd like to help me, would you?"

"Oh, but you're doing so well at dealing with it all on your own." Ruth teases Harry before she reaches out with her fork and twirls the cheese around the tangs of the fork. She continues to pour parmesan cheese on her pasta.

"You might be overdoing the cheese a little bit. It looks like a whole lot of cheese and a little bit of lasagne." Harry takes the shaker from Ruth.

"I like my lasagne with lots of cheese." Ruth says plainly.

"I'll have to remember that when I'm making dinner for you next time." Harry smiles at Ruth. "Do you like meat sauce or plain red sauce?"

"For lasagne I prefer meat sauce and I prefer red sauce over white. What about you? Do you like red sauce or white?" Ruth asks, pausing a bite of lasagne halfway to her mouth as she speaks.

"Usually red, although I do like a good white wine sauce as well." Harry says as he sips his wine.


	13. Teasing and Guessing

"Harry, do you actually cook for yourself? You have sort of a reputation for being a tuna and crisps man at work." Ruth is clearly enjoying this. She's actually having a decent meal on a weeknight which is rare in their profession.

"Well, more often than not that reputation is probably accurate. If I ever get an early night I try to cook because I actually like to cook I just don't get much of a chance to. It's tough to eat well when I get home at all hours of the day and night. I do make a very good omelette. I also make a pretty nice pasta." Harry says with a suave smile.

"So, you do cook on occasion. That's nice to know. You can cook next time, if you want. I'd like to see what your house looks like. I think I have an idea of what your decorating style is based on what your office looks like. Does your house have a similar feel?" Ruth asks as she finishes her pasta.

"It does, but it's less red than my office. When I suggested that they paint part of my office red I didn't think they'd paint my entire office red. My house is much more subdued. What do you think my house looks like then?" Harry asks pointedly looking at Ruth.

"I think it's probably a soft beige or cream with pops of colour like accent walls in each room. I think the fabrics are leather and sumptuous patterns. I think you have one special chair you like to sit in. I think your study is immaculate. Your fridge is empty, but your liquor cabinet is full. You have few personal items or items that tell who you are. You have a couple of pieces of lovely artwork to decorate your house. You have pictures of your kids in your bedroom. You kitchen is pale yellow with white cabinets. You have hardwood floor on the lower floor. You have a spot for Scarlet in front of the fire and you have a beautiful, big bookshelf in your sitting room." Ruth says with her eyes closed.

"Bloody hell Ruth! Have you been in my house before? You've described it almost exactly." Harry sputters on his wine.

"I am an analyst, Harry, and I do know more about you than almost anyone else in the world. I get how strange it must be, in this job, to have someone know you that well. I certainly don't know everything about you, Harry, but I know who you are at your core."


	14. When an Enigma is Seduced

Ruth stands up, picks up her glass of wine, and sits on the sofa.

Harry heaves himself up off the floor, his knees loudly protest, and he sits next to Ruth. "Does that mean you know me inside and out?"

"Not completely. You are an enigma, Harry, and if I knew you inside and out you would certainly know it." Ruth says seductively. She cuddles into Harry's arms and lays her head on his chest. She plays with the bottom of Harry's tie.

"Yes, I suppose I would know if that was the case. I would like that to happen one day." Harry says quietly and sets his empty wine glass down.

"One day? You don't want that today? You can't fool me, Harry; you've wanted this for years. You don't have to pretend with me." Ruth presses a kiss into Harry's neck. She gets a whiff of his aftershave.

"I didn't want to push you into anything. I've done enough of that already and it hasn't done me any good so I decided not to do that again." Harry tells Ruth.

"You are so sweet, Harry! Trust me when I say that I want this moment so much. I've wanted this for a long time, just like you. I'm pushing myself because I want this so badly." Ruth runs her hand down the side of Harry's face.

"If we do this we can't ever go back. This is it. I'm not willing to go back to being just friends." Harry pushes Ruth's hair back from her face and looks in her eyes.

"I don't want to ever go back to the way we were. I won't change my mind about this. Harry, we're meant to be together and the timing is finally right. I can't imagine this moment any better. Please, don't question me now, Harry. I've finally gotten to the point where I'm comfortable with all of this." Ruth sighs and sends up a prayer that Harry won't stop the moment.

Harry chuckles deep in his chest. He leans over and kisses Ruth gently. "I would never give up this moment when it's being so generously offered. I promised myself that if we ever got together, that I would never say no to you ever again. Please Ruth, be sure about this. We don't have to rush this at all."

"I'm so sure, Harry. This has been so nice tonight and I don't want this to end. Please Harry, don't deny me this moment." Ruth sets her hand on Harry's thigh and she can feel the warmth of his body seep into her hand. She leans into Harry and kisses him softly. She feels safe and secure as his arms slip around her waist. He deepens the kisses slowly and Ruth leans further into the kiss.

Harry lies back on the sofa and draws Ruth with him. Ruth presses the length of her body along Harry's and she can feel him respond and his hands clutch the fabric on her back. "You're so beautiful." Harry whispers as he pulls away from the kiss.


	15. Intimacy

"Shall we go upstairs?" Ruth asks as she kisses Harry's face adoringly. She sits us straddling his lap. She can see him gulp as he watches her. He nods slowly and waits for her to take the lead. Ruth climbs off of Harry and stands up. She extends her hand to Harry as he swings his legs over the side of the couch. He tries to control his breathing and his body reactions before he reaches for Ruth's hand. Ruth kisses Harry as he stands up. She continues to hold Harry's hand as she leads him out of the room and up the stairs. Harry holds Ruth around the waist as they slowly climb the stairs.

Harry can't believe he's about to enter Ruth's bedroom. His sock feet sink into the soft carpet at the top of the stairs. Ruth leads him down the hall and stops in front of her bedroom door. She turns towards Harry and he immediately presses her against the door and kisses her. "Here we are." Harry whispers in Ruth's ear.

"Here we are." Ruth says breathily. She and Harry both take a deep breath before Ruth reaches behind her and opens the door. Ruth knows that the moment the door opens things may get more awkward. "Come on in."

Harry enters the bedroom after Ruth and tries to take everything in. "It's lovely, Ruth."

"Thanks Harry. Listen, get comfy and I'll be right back." Ruth stretches up and kisses Harry before she enters her closet and goes searching for an item that has never been worn before. She finds the black satin and lace negligee at the back of the closet. The tag is still on it and Ruth pokes her head out of the closet and says, "Harry, can you grab the scissors from the right-hand drawer in the bathroom?"

"Sure," Harry says as he hops up from his spot on the bed and heads into the bathroom. He rummages through the drawer and finds the small pair of scissors. He quickly returns to the bedroom and passes the scissors to Ruth through the closet door.

"Thanks Harry. I'll be right out. Don't fall asleep on me yet." Ruth says with a bright smile.

"That's not going to happen." Harry mumbles under his breath as he walks back towards the bed.

Harry's not facing the closet when Ruth comes out. She pads softly across the room, wraps her arms around his waist and places a kiss between his shoulder blades. "Hi," Ruth whispers.

Harry turns in Ruth's arms and looks down at Ruth. "Hi beautiful." Harry bends his head down and kisses Ruth before he steps back to really look at her. "God, you're so beautiful. How did I ever get so lucky? I can't believe this is happening."

Ruth blushes as Harry speaks. She notices that he's taken his cufflinks off and rolled his sleeves up. She reaches out and gently touches Harry's collar. She then grasps his collar and pulls him towards her. She kisses him soundly. Harry walks Ruth back towards the bed and Ruth reaches between them and finishes unbuttoning Harry's shirt. She pulls the shirt off and tosses it on the floor before she steps back and observes Harry closely. She runs her hands over his chest. He's in quite good shape.

Harry can feel his face flush under Ruth's scrutiny. Her touch is feather-light and yet confident. "Will I do?" Harry asks self-consciously. He can feel his body respond to Ruth's gaze.

"You're very handsome Harry. Surely you know that already." Ruth says sliding her hands up to Harry's shoulders.

"It's nice to hear you say that, Ruth. When you don't date for a long time you tend to have a crisis of confidence." Harry slips his arms around Ruth and pulls her flush against him. He slides his hands down to the small of her back.

"Oh Harry, you are so handsome and sexy. I wish you'd believe me. You don't have anything to be self-conscious about at all." Ruth kisses Harry's beck at his pulse point.

"Hey! You better not leave a mark anywhere I can't cover up or you'll have to explain to the DG and the Home Secretary how and why I ended up with it." Harry teases Ruth as he kisses her face.

"You wouldn't dare!" Ruth says as she flops back onto the bed.

"Yes, I would. How is it possible that you look even more beautiful when you're frustrated?" Harry asks as he kneels over Ruth and kisses her neck. He reaches down and pushes the straps of Ruth's negligee down off her shoulders. He kisses across her collar bone to her shoulders. He keeps his eyes tilted upwards trying to watch Ruth's reaction. Ruth sighs contentedly and puts her hands on the back of Harry's head. Harry props himself up on his elbows and strokes her face. Do I tell her now, Harry thinks to himself, or do I wait?

"What is it Harry? Is there something you need to tell me?" Ruth asks running her hands over Harry's back.

"I love you, Ruth. I didn't want to tell you before. I thought I'd scare you, but I have to tell you now." Harry whispers in her ear.

"I know, Harry. This moment wouldn't be happening if I didn't believe you loved me. You don't always have to say everything with words. You express just as much with your eyes and your actions." Ruth settles her hands on Harry's lower back. "I love you too, Harry, but I think you already knew that."

"It's still nice to hear it out loud. Let's get you out of that negligee." Harry reaches down to the hem of Ruth's lovely lingerie. It gets caught at her thighs because of her position on the bed.

"Let me up and I'll take it off for you." Ruth says gently.

Harry rolls off of Ruth and sits on the side of the bed. Ruth reaches down to the hem of her negligee and pulls it up over her head. This action rumples her hair. Harry watches Ruth intently. He reaches out slowly giving Ruth a chance to pull back if she chooses. He sets his hands on Ruth's waist and pulls her towards him. He kisses his way up her stomach to her breasts.

"One of us is overdressed for this occasion." Ruth quickly reverses their positions and has her hands on the waistband of Harry's pants. Harry blushes at Ruth's sudden confidence. Ruth notices his sudden discomfort. She leans forward and kisses Harry's belly button. "I'll love how you look. Don't be so self-conscious." Ruth smiles up at Harry and, at the same time, unbuttons and unzips his pants. She gives the pants a gentle tug and they fall and pool around his ankles. Harry kicks his pants off before he covers his arousal with his hands. "Don't be embarrassed by your reaction. It's nice to know that I have that effect on you." Ruth stands up and kisses Harry, pressing her body against his.

"Lay back on the bed Ruth. Let me love you the way I've always wanted to." Harry whispers huskily. He watches Ruth lay back elegantly on the bed and fan her hair out behind her. He sits down on the side of the bed. Ruth's eyes are closed, but she can feel Harry's eyes caressing her body and she can feel his hands ghosting over her sides. "Open your eyes, Ruth. I want you to see me when I touch you. I want you to remember every moment of this night. I want you to feel every touch." Harry runs his fingers down Ruth's breasts and her eyes snap open. She clutches his biceps as he continues to touch her.


	16. Am I Dreaming?

Later when Ruth and Harry are both tangled in the sheets, Ruth finally dares to speak. "Please tell me I'm not dreaming." Ruth whispers into Harry's chest.

"If you're dreaming then we're both having the same dream. Pinch me and we'll see if we're dreaming." Harry mumbles slowly.

Ruth reaches around and pinches Harry's bum. "Did you feel that?" Ruth asks slyly.

"Ow! Yes, I did feel that! Did you have to pinch me there?" Harry asks indignantly.

"I thought it would be sexy." Ruth explains. She slowly and gently draws designs on Harry's chest.

"It was nice. Interesting to note you have such a nice fascination with my bum." Harry teases. He runs his hands over Ruth's body and pulls her against him.

"Well, at least we know that we're not dreaming. This has been so wonderful. I can't believe this happened finally." Ruth says as she puts her arms around his neck.

"Was it everything you wanted it to be? Did you ever imagine this moment?" Harry asks looking down into Ruth's eyes.

"I imagined it probably more than was healthy. Somehow you ended up in my dreams and my nightmares every single night. Tonight was everything I wanted and so much more. It was perfect and I feel so loved right now. The experience was everything I expected of the two of us. You were so gentle and kind, Harry. I love you." Ruth looks deep into Harry's eyes and both loves and is surprised by the emotion he's displaying.

"God I love you, Ruth. Tonight was so brilliant. It was absolutely beyond anything I'd dared to hope for or anything I'd imagined. I've spent so many nights awake, staring at the ceiling thinking about this moment and how special it would be. It's been so much more special. You were amazing." Harry pushes Ruth's hair out of her face. Ruth blushes demurely under Harry's praise. "No, really, you have to believe me and believe in yourself a little more. You were amazing and you always have been. You know, considering how long we've been wondering and dreaming about this moment it's remarkable that it lived up to both our expectations."

"I think the reality of happy moments is always better than dreaming about it because the reality makes the moment even happier. I don't think I've ever seen you so happy, Harry. It's nice to see." Ruth twirls a curly chest hair around her finger.

"It's nice to see you so relaxed, Ruth. I'm used to seeing you calm and poised in crazy situations, but I don't think I've ever seen you quite so relaxed." Harry smiles at Ruth.

"You've never seen me quite like this before at all. Never mind that you've never seen me so relaxed. We've also never told each other that we love each other. I've never been this comfortable just the two of us. You've never seen me naked either. We've broken a lot of barriers tonight." Ruth teases as she runs her fingers over Harry's chest.

"And I'm so glad we did finally get rid of some of our inhibitions. It's simply not worth it to carry all those worries in our personal life. We already worry so much in our professional lives and I know that's sometimes difficult to separate." Harry sighs heavily and traces some of the freckles on Ruth's bare shoulder, peeking above the covers.

"It's not always going to be easy and there are going to be times when our personal lives are going to be affected by work. There are going to be times when we're frustrated at our lack of personal time because of our jobs, but if we don't at least try to be together like this then we're doing ourselves a disservice. I love you, Harry, and I am absolutely unwilling to give up my happiness to my career anymore." Ruth absentmindedly traces a scar on Harry's chest from his early days at 5.

"I've sacrificed too much to my career already. I'm certainly not going to add your name to my list of sacrifices. The job is not worth it anymore." Harry kisses Ruth's forehead.

"Well, at least we both have our priorities straight finally. It took us long enough." Ruth smiles into Harry's chest.

"It took us far too long."


	17. Again, Really?

"So neither of us are going to be embarrassed by any comments from our colleagues, right? We're just going to take everything in our stride." Harry asks softly. He doesn't want to push Ruth too quickly, but he has to know.

"I can't promise I won't be embarrassed, but I can promise I won't affect us the way I almost did today." Ruth says sleepily.

"Tired?" Harry asks breathing in the scent of Ruth's hair: strawberries and vanilla.

Ruth nods. "I'm not sure if that's because you were being a stickler at work of if it was the after work activities that have made me so tired." Ruth feels Harry's hand between her legs and she gasps softly. "That doesn't mean I couldn't go again."

"Well, that certainly boosts my ego, Ruth. Not only have I tired you out but we're both willing to have another go. Good thing we don't have to be at work early tomorrow." Harry continues to touch Ruth.

Ruth reaches behind herself to touch Harry and feels him rise to the occasion. "You do bounce back well." Ruth teases.

"I don't know if I should be insulted or flattered by that statement. I'm bouncing back well, so to speak, because I'm so in love with you. I could go all night like this." Harry forcefully moves Ruth's hand pulls her against him and rolls on top of her. He kneels over her and kisses her neck and her breasts.

"God Harry, you do know how to seduce a woman." Ruth says throwing her head back on the pillow.

"I should know by now. Glad I still have the golden touch though. Look at me, Ruth. I adore you." Harry lowers himself into Ruth while maintaining eye contact with her.

Ruth clutches Harry's back and leaves ten half moon impressions on his back. "God, it feels so wonderful!"

"Ow, Ruth! Your nails hurt! Find a different way of holding on that doesn't draw blood!" Harry pleads with Ruth.

"Sorry," Ruth whispers. She puts her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist drawing him closer to her.

"That's alright." Harry leans over and kisses Ruth as they finish together. Harry is surprised that he and Ruth can do that already when he and his ex-wife, Jane, couldn't do that after years of marriage. He loves how connected he and Ruth are already. Harry is all sweaty when he rolls over. He lies looking at the ceiling with a self-satisfied smile on his face.

Ruth's hair is beginning to curl around her face in the humidity of the room. She lays her head on Harry's chest. "You don't have to look so smug and self-satisfied. People do this every day without having that particular look on their face."

"Yes, that's very true, but these other people are not us. We've been beating around the bush with each other for so long that I think I'm allowed to feel a little smug that we finally got to this point. It took us bloody long enough." Harry runs his fingers through Ruth's curls.

"Well, you're allowed to be a little bit smug. You were very good. Do you want me to turn the fan on? We're both all sweaty." Ruth asks politely. The situation is so new she's not sure how to handle it yet.

"If you move right now you will bruise my ego. Just lay here and enjoy the moment. I'm beginning to cool down anyway. Don't worry about me." Harry kisses Ruth's forehead.

Ruth puts one leg over Harry's and with the tops of her fingernails draws random designs on his chest. Harry notices how chilly Ruth's shoulder is getting and he pulls the sheet up to cover her. Ruth's breath blows gently across Harry's nipples as she yawns. "Are you happy, Harry?" Ruth whispers in his ear.

"That's a silly question. I'm laying naked in bed with the most beautiful woman in the world, the woman I love dearly, and you ask if I'm happy? I'm happier than I have been for years. In fact, in this moment, right her and right now, I am blissfully happy. If my mobile rang right now I don't even think I'd answer it." Harry says honestly. Suddenly he's finding opening up to Ruth much easier than it was before. "Are you happy, Ruth?"

"I can't believe how happy I am right now. I'm even more confident in my body because of all your compliments. I am ecstatic that this has happened."


	18. Scars

Ruth traces a white scar on Harry's shoulder. "What is this one from?"

Harry looks down at the scar Ruth is indicating and immediately tenses. He remembers every moment of the day he got that scar. "It happened just after you came. We got a report that there was a bomb in the Egyptian embassy. I don't go out on calls like that anymore, but then I felt like I still wanted to be in the field. I took a small team and when we got to the site the embassy had just finished being evacuated. Of course I went in trying to play hero. I got to the barrier around the building before the bomb went off. I was only twenty feet in front of the building and all the windows blew out and part of the facade blew with it. A member of the bomb squad was killed that day and a piece of the debris moving at high velocity ended up in my shoulder.

"I remember that moment. It was the first time that there'd been an injury of a team member when I was there. It upset me more than I though. You walked back into MI-5 with your arm in a sling and I wished that I could make sure you were okay, but I didn't know you well enough then." Ruth kisses the scar on Harry's shoulder.

"You were worried about me even then? You'd only been with MI-5 a couple of weeks before this incident." Harry questions. He thinks back on that day carefully.

"I tend to have instant connections with people and I did with everyone at MI-5. If you know that I was only on the grid for a couple of weeks then you must have noticed me." Ruth explains. She's finding small talk a lot easier now. Look at that, Ruth thinks, all I had to do to be perfectly comfortable with Harry was to make love with him. Some people would consider this merely having sex, but Ruth knows there's more emotion in these moments.

"Of course I noticed you. You were difficult not to notice. You dressed differently than most of the women at MI-5 and you were late your first morning and you nearly took me out carrying a whole stack of files when you tripped that first morning. You made an impression on me instantly. I thought you were beautiful, unconventionally so, but still very lovely. You made an excellent impression with your work as well. You were spot on from the moment you set foot in the building. Plus, you were the only person in the entire section who ever entered my office without knocking and the only one who had ever gotten away with doing so." Harry smiles when he thinks of Ruth's early days at MI-5.

"I was terrified that first morning. I changed my clothes three times before I caught my bus. I was surprised when I settled in so quickly. You're fairly intimidating as a boss early on, Harry." Ruth admits looking up at Harry.

"Well, the intimidation factor certainly didn't last very long. It was only about a month before you were bursting into my office without knocking. You weren't afraid to tell me exactly what you thought of me and it was nice to have someone working for me who's willing to be perfectly honest. It's necessary in this job, but very rare." Harry smiles gently.

"I can't believe I'm lying here talking to you about all this I feel like I've entered an alternate universe. This is so perfect." Ruth mumbles sleepily.

Harry looks over at the alarm clock and says, "No matter how perfect the moment is it's late and we both have to be at work tomorrow. Why is your alarm clock not on your bedside table?"

"I have to get up and turn it off it's over there. If it's over here I just turn it off and go back to sleep. Turn the light off. The alarm is already set." Ruth smiles at Harry's question. He's such a spook. He notices every detail.

Harry leans over and turns the light out. He pulls the duvet up around the two of them as Ruth cuddles up to Harry. Ruth stretches up and kisses Harry good night. "I love you, Ruth."

"I love you, Harry." Ruth turns over and spoons against Harry. Harry's arm settles around Ruth's waist. Ruth is soon asleep and Harry can hear her breathe deeply.

Harry lays awake for a while enjoying having his arms around Ruth. He feels Fidget leap lightly onto the bed and curl up to go to sleep. He looks warily at Harry before falling asleep. Clearly he thinks I'm invading his territory, Harry thinks to himself. Well, if that cat thinks I'm moving he's sorely mistaken. In fact, I may never move again. Harry notes, as he's lying awake, that Ruth is a very still sleeper, though he's not sure if that's typical or merely because he's there. He also notices how peaceful she looks when she's asleep. He slowly falls asleep watching Ruth.


	19. Did You Know?

Ruth wakes before the alarm goes off, as she usually does, and rubs the sleep out of her eyes. She doesn't move because she wants Harry to sleep as long as possible. She knows that they're both light sleepers because of their career. She lays awake in the dark room savouring the feeling of the weight of Harry's arm around her. She wishes she'd fall asleep facing him so she could watch him now. She decides to take a chance of waking him and she slowly and carefully rolls over to face Harry. He looks peaceful and he's still asleep. Even in his sleep he manages to look poised and in control, though she does notice he's pouting in his sleep. She loves the way his face looks when he pouts. He puckers his lips in his sleep and Ruth has to bite her lip to prevent herself from giggling out loud. She'd love to know what he's dreaming about. He looks so sweet and then suddenly he snores loudly. Ruth smiles behind her hand at Harry's actions.

Harry instantly wakes up when the alarm clock goes off. When his eyes snap open the first thing he sees is Ruth's beautiful eyes. "How long have you been watching me? You should have been getting a good night's sleep."

"I've only been awake long enough to see you pout and make a kissy face and to hear you snore quite loudly. You're cute when you're asleep." Ruth says with a cheeky smile on her face. "What were you dreaming about?"

"You probably. That's all I ever seem to dream about. Even when you're around me you seem to be in my thoughts constantly. Ruth you are the soul of me. Every decision I make I think about what you would do. You are my conscience. I rely on you when I'm awake and my mind relies on you when I'm asleep." Harry admits his vulnerability to Ruth which is rare.

Ruth kisses Harry gently. She doesn't want a repeat of last night since they have to be at work soon, but she also just wants to kiss him and never move. She slowly climbs out of bed and walks over to the mirror. "Just look at the mark you left on my neck! How am I supposed to cover that?! I don't have one shirt that will cover this!" Ruth turns to face Harry who's watching her intently.

"Um, make-up?" Harry suggests lamely. He doesn't know anything about how women cover love bites. He made a suggestion that seemed to make sense.

"Ha, ha, you're terribly funny. Make-up won't stay on for the whole work day. I don't want everyone to know everything all at once." Ruth explains gently. It's clear Harry has forgotten how women need to get ready.

"Well, just a suggestion. What do I know about trying to cover up love bites? I never bothered to cover the ones I got. I wore them proudly." Harry teases. It's been a long time since he's been concerned about these sorts of things with a woman he's with. He certainly doesn't know anything about make-up.

"Well, I don't want our colleagues to know more than they already do. They were all over me for information when we had only been on a date! I can just imagine what would happen if I walked onto the grid with a love mark on me. They'd probably be taking dental impressions to prove it was you." Ruth teases Harry.

"Well, there is a pool going on to see when we're going to get together which can't surprise you. I think Malcolm had this month in the pool." Harry slowly climbs out of bed and locates his boxers somewhere on the floor of the bedroom. He pulls them on as he watches Ruth. He turns the water on in the bathroom and quickly washes his face. He runs a towel roughly over his face. His face is all stubbly and the front of his hair is wet.

"The pool doesn't surprise me at all. Do you know how much the pot is up to?" Ruth asks as she walks into the bedroom from the bathroom. She pulls her dressing gown out of the closet and wraps it around herself.

"The last time I checked and got a straight answer out of Malcolm and Adam the pot was up to £350. It surprised me to think that it had gotten that high. Clearly people kept losing their bets on us." Harry thinks back on the last time he asked about the pool.

"So, Malcolm just won £350? That's really impressive." Ruth has to chuckle at the ridiculousness of the situation at work.

"Well, Malcolm won the first bet, but they've got multiple bets on us. How long after we get together will we have sex? How long after we get together are we going to move in together? How long after we get together are we going to get married? How long is it going to take for us to have our first argument? How long is it going to take before I make you cry? There's even a bet on whether my children will like you or not." Harry leans against the doorframe as he speaks.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say these people have too much time on their hands." Ruth shakes her head as she and Harry head down to the kitchen.

"I know. It's clear that no one we work with has a social life." Harry watches Ruth flit around the kitchen.


	20. Breakfast for Two

Ruth smiles. "What do you want for breakfast?" She asks as she puts the kettle on.

"What do we have time to have?" Harry asks. He spends his entire life wondering how much time he'll have to do anything.

"As long as you don't have an early meeting and we don't have any emergency calls, we have time for a full English, if you want." Ruth says looking into her fridge.

"Oh, a full English sounds great. Normally I grab a piece of toast on my way out the door in the morning. It's nice to have some time in the morning and not be rushed." Harry admits to Ruth.

"Well, if you do the beans, tomatoes, and toast, I will do the sausages and eggs and we'll have breakfast in no time." Ruth says as she bustles around the kitchen.

"Which cupboard are your beans in?" Harry asks as he pulls tomatoes out of the fridge.

"Um, the top one on the left of the stove. The pots are in the bottom cupboard in the right hand corner." Ruth pulls a fry pan from the drawer under the stove. She puts 4 sausages in the pan and browns them.

Harry opens the can of beans and pours them into a pot. He stirs them using a wooden spoon he finds in a canister next to the stove. He loves the domesticity of the situation, though he's still having trouble believing any of this is real. He cuts the tomato and pulls a fry pan out. He turns the heat on and gently sets the tomatoes in the pan.

"You're very handy in the kitchen, Harry. No one would ever believe me that you can actually cook. Don't look at me that way and don't forget to stir the beans. I'd prefer not to have burned beans for breakfast." Ruth teases as she turns the sausages.

Harry looks at the beans and gives them a stir and turns the tomatoes. He finds plates and pops a couple of slices of toast in the toaster and takes the butter out. He sees Ruth pull the sausages out of the pan and deftly crack eggs into the pan. He spoons beans onto the plates before he adds the tomatoes.

"How do you like you eggs, Harry?" Ruth asks as she lifts her eggs out of the pan.

"Hard yolks on mine please." Harry requests as he snatches the hot toast from the toaster and butters it. "It smells good."

Ruth sets a plate full of food and a mug of tea in front of Harry before she gets her breakfast and joins Harry at the kitchen table.

Harry feels Fidget wind his way around Harry's ankles. Harry leans over and pets the cat gently. "You look hungry? Hasn't your mummy fed you yet?" Harry, like Ruth, is an animal lover.

Ruth gets up and grabs a box of cat food and pours some into Fidget's dish. "There you go, Fidge." Ruth scratches Fidget behind the ears before she sits back down at the kitchen table. She watches Harry intently for a few minutes when she knows he's not aware she's watching him.

Harry can feel Ruth's eyes watching him and he wonders why. He pauses his fork halfway to his mouth. He sets his fork down and picks up his coffee mug. "Why are you watching me?"

"I still can't believe this is real. I'm afraid if I look away that you'll disappear. I still am struggling to believe all of this." Ruth says gently.

Harry covers Ruth's hand with his. "I am very real, believe me. I understand why you're having trouble believing all of this. I still don't think my mind has quite caught up with everything yet. I woke up in the middle of the night and I was confused about where I was and what was going on. We just have to give it a little time to sink in and we'll be fine. We already have a solid friendship, so we have good building blocks. I think that we'll be just fine. We just need to take time to process all of this."

Ruth smiles and blushes. She continues to eat and Harry takes some time to observe Ruth. The soft curls of her dark hair fall around her face as she leans forward slightly. He notes that her mug as cats printed on it. Her dressing gown has gaped open to reveal a vast expanse of her porcelain skin across her chest. He finds his breath catching in his throat as he watches Ruth.

Harry sits back in his chair as he finishes his breakfast. He picks up his mug and holds it in his hands. The cup isn't even warm on the outside anymore.


	21. Interrupted

Ruth jumps when Harry's mobile rings. She was enjoying the calm and quiet of the morning, but clearly their MI-5 life is always going to interfere. "Pearce." Harry says sharply. "Yes, I'll be right in." "No, I'll call Ruth to tell her." "I'll be in to the Grid in half an hour or so."

"What's up?" Ruth asks as she sets her dishes in the sink.

"New terrorist threat came in 10 minutes ago. It's a bomb threat on every major royal residence in the country. We've got to get on this or we could lose every member of the royal family in one go." Harry's voice seems tense and weary already.

"When is this attack supposed to take place?" Ruth asks as she and Harry climb the stairs.

"We have four days to figure everything out and find the bombs." Harry says as he begins to dress.

"So, we know the potential where and when, but we don't know who sent the threat and why or what kind of explosives they're planning to use. Four days is not a lot of time to figure all this out." Ruth says loudly from the closet.

"No, it's not a lot of time, but it's all we have. I'll have to talk to the Home Secretary so he can brief the PM and get the Queen informed. We need to know everything in four days. If this actually happens the entire country will be plunged into instant chaos." Harry pulls his shirt on as he speaks.

"Maybe that's exactly what the terrorists want. The royal family may be collateral damage in order to create chaos and have another bomb go off somewhere vital while we're scrambling around dealing with the royal family." Ruth says walking out of her closet carrying her outfit for the day.

"That's an interesting theory, Ruth. We'll have to take that into consideration of course. I have to admit that right now I have no idea why anyone would attempt this kind of attack." Harry and Ruth are both dressed quite quickly. "Come on, let's go. I'll drive."

Ruth grabs her purse as they head out the door. She settles into the front seat of her car and they're soon speeding down the streets of London. Harry loves the fact that with his security clearance he can speed in London and get away with it.

"Something tells me we're not going to see a lot of each other outside of work for the next few days. We're going to be not sleeping and eating bad food. I can't stand when we have long stretches of time like this." Ruth says with a heavy sigh.

"Did I ever tell that on the top floor of Thames House there are rooms where officers can go to catch naps? Maybe we can take breaks at the same time." Harry suggests to Ruth.

"You mean after all these years of me falling asleep at my desk I could have been sleeping in a nice comfy bed? If we take our breaks at the same time every time I think people will notice. It's hard to be discreet in a building full of spies." Ruth teases Harry. She knows he would never keep information from her unless he has to.

"Oh, everybody already knows anyway. Why should we be allowed to enjoy our lives in the midst of all the chaos we deal with every day? I'm tired of hiding my emotions towards you. It's destroying me and hurting you." Harry says as he tells Ruth the truth about his emotions for one of the first times ever.

"You're right. Everyone already knows, so we might as well show everyone how much we love each other. Malcolm would be happy to see us express our emotions for once. Everyone on the grid wants us to be happy and I love that our colleagues care that much." Ruth says admitting that Harry has the pulse of the team.


	22. Team Meeting

Harry pulls into the parking garage at Thames House and Harry and Ruth jump out of the car and run into the building to start what will prove to be a long operation. No one bats an eyelash when Harry and Ruth walk on the grid together. "We need a team meeting now to get us all up to speed."

The team quickly gathers in the conference room. Malcolm brings up a picture of the note sent to MI-5. "Christ, it's handwritten! Who does that anymore?" Ruth asks looking at the note.

"It's very rare to get a handwritten note. We're running the writing through a recognition program to see if we've seen it before." Malcolm explains to the team.

"Is there any clue which organization is behind this? Are the bomb squads deployed to every royal residence we have access and permission to enter? We need to know what's going on quickly." Harry says running his hands over his face.

"We could be looking at a Northern Irish group, or a republican group, or an anarchist group. The other thing it could also be is a radical, conservative, religious group that disagrees with the lifestyle of the younger royals." Malcolm speculates.

"Right, get to work everyone. I want an update every 15 minutes. Let's hope it's not Northern Ireland." Harry sighs heavily. He walks into his office and picks up his phone to call the Home Secretary. He hates the political side of his job, but he knows it's necessary to run the country. He looks out onto the grid as he speaks, watching Ruth as she diligently works analyzing the wording of the note. He watches as Ruth runs her fingers through her dark hair. She's so lovely.


	23. Handwritten Snail Mail

"Why would anyone send a terrorist threat this way anymore? There's so much technology to prevent anyone from identifying the handwriting, or the target, or the organization, but they didn't use any of those countermeasures. I don't understand. It's like they want to be caught." Ruth says as she trolls the internet for every mention of anti-monarchist terrorist cells that would be capable of carrying out such an attack.

"It doesn't make any sense, I know. I'm checking the CCTV to see if anyone may have been watching the royal residences or if they actually got into the grounds long enough to plant a bomb there." Malcolm says sitting at his computer.

"I'm sure this is going to be a long few days. There are so many anti-monarchy groups that could be behind this. I'm not sure if we can find them all in time. My stress levels have shot up about 15 notches already and I haven't even been here that long. Malcolm take a look at this for me. The note has wrong grammar and spelling all over the place. This is not a sophisticated, educated person, but the operation is very sophisticated, so something doesn't jive with this." Ruth creases her brow as she analyzes the note.

Malcolm leans over the back of Ruth's chair to look at what she's seeing. "You're right. So, either the note is fake or the threat is a fake and we need to know which and quickly. This just seems odd. It doesn't seem to be a usual type of threat. Something is wrong." Malcolm walks back to his desk.

"I'll go update Harry on what we suspect about this threat." Ruth picks up a couple of files and a red pen.


	24. Update

"Harry, I've got an update on this threat. Something isn't right. There's a disconnect between the sophistication of the note and the threat. The note is written by someone who isn't very educated which isn't the same way I see the threat. The threat is complicated and precise, but the note is full of errors. Look," Ruth says as she puts the note down in front of Harry. She circles all the spelling and grammar errors as she leans over close to Harry. She pulls back and allows Harry to look at what she's done.

"You're right. There's a big difference between the threat and the way it was delivered. Something's definitely wrong with this situation. It doesn't make sense to me at all. We need some answers now!' Harry says seriously.

"I'm looking at the list of anti-monarchist terrorist groups, but it's long. I'm trying to narrow down the list to groups capable of carrying out such a detailed, coordinated attack. I'll get back to work." Ruth tells Harry.

"Stay strong, Ruth. It's important that we get this done. Keep me informed please." Harry says heavily.

"Did you talk to the Home Secretary?" Ruth asks pausing at the door to Harry's office.

"Yeah, he's really upset. He's going to talk to the Queen this afternoon. She'll have to be told everything." Harry says tiredly.

"I hope she'll be okay when she hears what the threat is. She's been going through a lot recently." Ruth says quietly.

"She's strong. She'll be okay and Prince Philip will be there to help her through everything. I'm sure she'll take it all in stride. I know her well enough to know she'll do that." Harry says calmly.

Ruth smiles. "I'm sure you're right. I'll get back to work." Ruth takes her files back to her desk and continues to analyze her work.

Harry sighs heavily. It's clear to him that this case has just gotten a whole lot more difficult and complicated due to Ruth's very accurate, as always, analysis. He doesn't know how to help his team, but he knows he has to get the bomb teams into the royal residences immediately.

The grid is bustling with activity and Harry actually enjoys it better than when it's quiet and he's there by himself. Every computer is running and analyzing data.


	25. More Information

"Adam, can you look at this? I think I may have found the organization that sent the threat. Of all the organizations I've looked at today this one seems the most likely. It's highly radical and anarchist in nature." Ruth says showing Adam the website for the terrorist group.

Malcolm comes over and says, "It's clear that no one who was unauthorized has entered any of the royal residences in the last month."

Ruth looks up at Malcolm. "I'm going to send you a list of the people involved in this organization and I want you to run it against the list of authorized visitors to every royal residence in the country. If I'm right there should be a member of this organization in each royal residence infiltrating the staff."

"I'll check it Ruth. That's a really brilliant idea. It does make sense. It might be the only thing that does make sense at this point. This is a strange threat and I'm not making heads or tails of it yet." Malcolm sounds tired and frustrated.

"I'll tell Harry what we think. There isn't a lot more I can do anyway unless we get another message. He's going to be confused by this operation just like we are. I still don't know if we have an understanding of any of this." Ruth takes a bottle of Aspirin out of her desk drawer and takes two. She walks purposefully towards Harry's office.


	26. All Knowing Smile

Malcolm smiles about Ruth's behaviour. "What's that cheeky smile about?" Jo asks as she approaches Malcolm.

"Ruth and Harry seem to have gotten themselves together at last. Ruth won't let anyone but her go and talk to Harry. It's sweet really." Malcolm nods his head towards Ruth.

"I wondered if something had happened between the two of them. They've both been very chipper and happy yesterday and today." Zaf says as he drops a file off for Malcolm.

"For heaven's sake, everyone get back to work. If Ruth thinks we're talking about her then she'll call a halt to their relationship." Malcolm pleads with his co-workers. He doesn't want a repeat of yesterday. Harry and Ruth are destined to be together and he's not about to blow it for them.


	27. How Does Everyone Know?

Ruth pokes her head around the door to Harry's office. "Got a minute?"

"For you Ruth? Of course I have a minute. What can I do for you?" Harry asks pushing his chair back from his desk. He loves watching Ruth when she has information.

"Well, there are several things you could do for me, but I have information about our operation right now, so whatever else I want will have to wait. I narrowed down the list and came up with one very possible group. I have Malcolm cross-referencing names right now." Ruth teases Harry.

"You are such a tease, Ruth. Do you have some time to yourself for a while?" Harry asks as he walks over to his sofa and sits down.

"I do have a little time since I don't have any more analysis to do at the moment. I'm going to go make a cup of tea. Do you want one?" Ruth asks watching Harry. He runs his hands firmly over his face.

"I would love a cup. Thank you, Ruth." Harry says tiredly.

Ruth comes back a few minutes later carrying two hot mugs of tea. "Here, drink that. You'll feel better when you get some tea in you." Ruth sits down on the sofa next to Harry.

"It smells so good." Harry wraps his hands around his mug and leans back into the sofa. Ruth leans her head on Harry's chest. Harry holds his mug in one hand and puts his arm around Ruth's shoulders.

"It's rare to get moments like this at work and I certainly didn't think we'd get that chance today. I think I'll order some pizzas for the team a bit later. They've been working very hard today." Ruth sips her tea slowly.

"Oh, that's why I love you so much, Ruth, my darling. You are so considerate of everyone else and you never think of yourself. It's so endearing." Harry leans over and kisses Ruth's cheek. He somehow knows exactly when she needs a little compliment.

"Oh Harry, that's not true at all. I just want to make sure that our team is going to stay focused and you can't do that when you're hungry." Ruth explains.

"You don't have to explain to me. Everyone here loves you because of the little things you do for them. Now, stop talking and come here and kiss me." Harry says firmly.

Ruth leans into Harry's chest and stretches up to kiss Harry. Harry's warm body envelopes her as they kiss. Normally Ruth would never engage in such behaviour at work, but Harry makes her feel as if she can do anything. When she pulls back from the kiss she glances down at her watch. "I should go get the pizza order before our colleagues starve."

"Ruth, send Mike out to pick up the pizza, so we don't have to have lunch delivered." Harry suggests.

"Okay. Would Mike really do that for me? He doesn't know me that well." Ruth asks Harry. Mike is Harry's driver, not hers, after all.

"Of course he would, Ruth. He likes you. If you asked him he'd do anything for you." Harry admits to Ruth. He knows what the next question will be.

"But Mike doesn't even know me! How does he know he likes me if he doesn't know me?" Ruth asks seriously.

"Because he and I would talk in the car and apparently when I fell asleep in the car I would talk about you." Harry admits sheepishly.

"Oh my God, Harry! How much does Mike know about the two of us then?" Ruth is shocked that Harry has been so open with his driver.

"He knows just about everything about us. When I had had a bad day and you and I had had an argument I would talk to him when I needed to vent." Harry says honestly.

"That's why I was getting strange looks from Mike in the rearview mirror last night, because he knew all about us already!" Ruth sighs.

"Well, not to worry. Mike will always like and respect you. Now, I thought that you were going to go ask what kind of pizza everyone wants." Harry says teasingly.

"So, I'll start with you. What kind of pizza do you want for lunch?" Ruth asks as she picks up a pad of paper and a pencil.

"Oh, I like salami, green peppers, mushrooms, and onions on my pizza, but I'm not fussy as long as there's no olives on it." Harry tells Ruth.

"That sounds yummy. I'll see what everyone else wants and then I'll be right back."


	28. Pizza for Lunch

Ruth walks out the door of Harry's office. "Alright everyone, I'm ordering pizza for everyone for lunch. What does everyone want on their pizza?" Ruth quickly jots the toppings the team is shouting at her. "So, I'll do a large salami, green pepper, mushroom, and onion. One large bacon cheeseburger and one vegetarian pizza. Does that sound alright?" When she gets node she turns to pick up her desk phone and order the pizza. When she's ordered the pizza she calls Mike. "Hi Mike, it's Ruth. Harry wanted me to ask if you would pick up 3 large pizzas at Pete's for us. The pizzas are in my name. I'll pay you back when you get here. Give me a call when you're in the lobby and I'll come down to pick up the pizzas from you. Thanks Mike."

"Did Mike say he would pick up the pizzas?" Harry asks coming out of his office.

"Yeah, he said that's fine. He's very accommodating." Ruth says gently.

"Well, he wouldn't be that accommodating for me. He must have taken a shine to you." Harry smiles cheekily.

"Maybe Mike thinks that I'll be good for you. That being with me might give you some semblance of a normal life." Ruth teases back.

"There's no doubt that you're good for me. You give me the opportunity to express positive emotions, but we will never have a normal life. We live in a shadow world that only gets to mimic real life." Harry loves flattering Ruth.

"God, you two were depressing when you weren't together and now that you're together you're sappy. It's almost revolting except that it's so sweet and you're both so happy." Adam teases the new couple.

"Thanks a lot for that, Adam." Harry says sarcastically.

"You know Adam if I didn't know that you mean well I'd say you don't want us to be together." Ruth teases Adam.

"It's nicer to have you together and happy than when you were apart and arguing. It makes the team much calmer when you're getting along. When you're getting along it's as if all is right with the world. You don't realize the impact your relationship has on all of us." Adam tells Harry and Ruth.


	29. Back Off!

The phone on Ruth's desk rings saving her from having to say anything to Adam about her relationship with Harry. "Hi Mike. Okay, I'll be right down. Thanks for doing this for me." Ruth grabs her purse and says, "I'll be right back with lunch."

"Oh, that smells brilliant, Ruth. Give me a slice." Adam says when Ruth re-enters section D, reaching for the pizza boxes.

"Hands off! Let's put these down and at least try and eat like civilized people. Harry, can you grab plates for all of us please? We'll in the briefing room." Ruth calls over her shoulder. Harry comes into the briefing room carrying a stack of paper plates and several sets of plastic cutlery. "Harry really? Cutlery for pizza?"

Harry shrugs his shoulders. "I thought the ladies might appreciate a little bit of civilized behaviour from us."

"You're sweet, Harry! It's not necessary though. Everyone grab a plate and dig in." Ruth kisses Harry's cheek.

"You sure have changed your tune about our colleagues knowing about us." Harry whispers in Ruth's ear. He sets his hand gently on Ruth's lower back.

"They knew about us when we weren't saying or doing anything with each other, so we might as well show everyone how we feel about each other." Ruth whispers as she leans back against Harry's hand.

Harry smiles and kisses Ruth's cheek. He reaches around Ruth and picks up two slices of salami pizza. He sets two slices of the same pizza on Ruth's plate.


	30. Oh No

"God, they're going to be incorrigible now. I can only stand so much sweetness before I want to gag." Ros snaps a bit more harshly than she intended.

"Oh come on, Ros, everyone deserves a little happiness. We've been waiting for these two for ages to get organized. I think we're all as happy for them as they are. Besides, this is just the honeymoon phase. All the public displays of affection will die down. This is just pure, unadulterated joy for them, right now." Malcolm says as he watches Ruth and Harry sit down at the table.

"Well, let's hope the honeymoon phase doesn't last too long. I can't stand too much more of this." Ros says heavily.

"I hope that their honeymoon phase last forever. They deserve every moment of happiness they can get and if they feel the need to express their love at work then they should be able to do that." Malcolm says firmly.


	31. Conversations

"Do you get the feeling that we aren't getting the gist of all the conversations going on at the table?" Ruth leans towards Harry and whispers to him.

"I don't even see any conversations going on." Harry says looking up from his pizza.

"And you call yourself a spook. I know that Ros and Malcolm are having a conversation, and if I know them, and because they're whispering, I'd say they're talking about us." Ruth whispers.

"Let them talk. I don't care anymore." Harry says adamantly.

Ruth stands up and pulls another slice of pizza out of the box. "Do you want another slice, Harry?"

"Yeah, get me a slice of the vegetarian. I'm getting a little full. Thanks Ruth." Harry wipes his mouth.

Ruth passes Harry his plate back and sits down next to him again. "Please, everyone finish up all the pizza! I don't want to take any of this home!" Ruth says loudly.

"Not a problem Ruth! There won't be anything left soon enough!" Adam calls down the table.

Ruth sinks her head into her hands and laughs. She watches Adam toss Zaf a can of soda. Zaf sets the can down and refuses to open it until it has time to settle. Ruth actually likes moments like this when they all feel like a big, quirky family, even if the moments are short-lived.


	32. A Big Crazy Family

As soon as the food is gone the team heads back to work. Ruth collapses the pizza boxes and throws them out. "This was nice to have a moment like this for all of us. Our team is like a big, crazy family, but we all get along so well."

"Can they ever eat! It was like a swarm of locusts came in and devoured everything." Harry shakes his head at his team.

"That's what you get when your team is comprised of mostly young men. They can eat as much food as you can put in front of them." Ruth teases as she gathers up the soda cans and drops them into the recycling bin.

"I guess I don't eat with them often enough to know that." Harry shoves his hands in his pockets.

"Maybe you should come and eat with the masses more often. I know the team would like it. They actually like having you around." Ruth leans against the doorframe and watches Harry wipe down the table.

"I don't know if they really like having me around. They just like that I'm not working for a few minutes. I think they appreciate the camaraderie though and you're a big part of that." Harry and Ruth walk slowly towards his office.

"You shouldn't sell yourself so short, Harry. The team likes when you take time to be with them. Even if you just go the George for drinks. They like that you spend time getting to know all of them on a personal level." Ruth kisses Harry's cheek and grabs her file from his desk.


	33. You're So Sweet!

"You two are so sweet together!" Jo exclaims coming over to Ruth in her usual bouncy way.

"Oh God, don't let Harry hear you say that! He'll have a fit if anyone describes him as sweet or cute!" Ruth hisses her eyes darting in the direction of Harry's office.

"But it's so sweet the way he treats you! He gets this really nervous look on his face if he feels he's done something wrong and he blushes when you say something that startles him. You're so meant to be Ruth!" Jo says enthusiastically.

"Thanks for the encouragement, Jo. Both of us were a little nervous about how this was going to be received at work, but I feel much better now." Ruth smiles demurely.


	34. Slow in Getting Information

"Malcolm! Do we have any more information?" Ruth asks Malcolm.

"The program is still running, Ruth! It's working! We should have something soon!" Malcolm says back.

"Thanks Malcolm. Keep working, it'll be fine. Don't panic about this yet. We've still got time." Ruth says reassuringly.

"I'm not panicking yet. I'm just a little worried that this program hasn't come up with anything yet. Normally it works faster than this." Malcolm sounds tired.

Ruth walks over to Malcolm and puts her hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry Malcolm. Your programs always work. We will get this done."

"Thanks Ruth. I needed that little bit of reassurance. This job manages to eat at your self-confidence without you even realizing it." Malcolm says quietly.

"I know. This is one of the hardest jobs to do. It's nice to get reassurance from someone. Just do the best you can do." Ruth whispers. She walks back to her desk.


	35. You're So Good with Them

"You're so good with them." Harry whispers in Ruth's ear. "Here's some more information from MI-6."

"You're equally good with all of them. I just have a different approach to the one you do. You have to have a different way of dealing with them. You have to deal with them as a boss whereas I can just be a colleague. It's a different level of respect between you and the team and me and the team. I'm a chum, but they deeply respect you and they trust you implicitly. They know they can tell me anything and they know they can ask me for help, but you, they'd lay down their lives for you if they had to." Ruth spins in her chair to face Harry. She takes the file from Harry and flicks the end of his tie as it's fallen out of his jacket. "I'll have to get you a tie pin because that looks silly."

Harry tucks his tie back into his jacket and kisses Ruth's forehead. "Just read the file and quit teasing me."


	36. Stroking Egos

Ruth smiles and turns back to her work. Adam walks by and says, "You certainly know how to stroke his ego, Ruth." Adam teases.

"He's not as confident as everyone assumes. He needs a boost every once in a while. He's confident in his operational decisions, but he questions his personal interactions. He trust me to be honest with him always." Ruth mumbles as she reads the file Harry gave her.

"Is that the file Harry have you from 6?" Adam asks as he sits on the edge of Ruth's desk.

"Mmhm." Ruth sips her tea.

"Do I get to see it?" Adam asks teasingly.

"After Malcolm and I get done with it you and everyone else can read it." Ruth says absentmindedly.

Adam knows when to leave Ruth be and she seems to be in her zone right now.


	37. Maybe Ruth's Right

Adam pokes his head into Harry's office. "Hey Harry, it nice to see Ruth so happy and she's saying very sweet things about you."

"Oh boy, there goes my authority." Harry chuckles deep in his chest.

"Actually, I think it may enhance your authority. It's nice to hear about your near human side." Adam teases Harry and leans against the door frame.

"So, all I need to get people to see me as human is to have a girlfriend in the service who can tell sweet stories? I should have done this years ago." Harry says sarcastically.

"We've all been saying that for years. Ruth and you are great together. You have a connection unlike any other I've ever seen. You can read each other better than anyone else. We all know how special the two of you are when we see you interact." Adam admits to Harry.

"So, we weren't as subtle and spook-like as we thought we were." Harry says thoughtfully.

"Well, it's pretty hard to pretend you don't have a connection when you really do. You can't change the look in your eyes when you look at someone. No matter what was going on with Fiona and I I still looked at her the same way. We're spooks. We see everything." Adam says with an all-knowing smile.

"Get back to work before I start agreeing with you." Harry smiles at Adam before he retreats to help the team.


	38. You Know 6 Don't Trust Us

Ruth sighs as she continues to read the file from MI-6. So far there isn't a lot of information she didn't already know until she comes across a page that looks promising. She carefully reads the page and then reads it again picking up a highlighter and marking a couple of important passages. "I've got something! Would someone look this over? This group seems more dangerous than we first imagined."

Adam and Malcolm read the page over Ruth's shoulder. "Well, that's much more information than we had when we started. It's certainly very important. Good work, Ruth." Adam runs into Harry's office. "Harry, we've, rather Ruth has found, some pertinent information about this group. It sounds more dangerous than first supposed."

Harry snatches the paper from Adam and reads it. "Damn, why is MI-6 always holding back information? This could have been in our hands ages ago when this group came into Britain. They hate to share information, but we needed to know this!"

"Harry, MI-6 never tells us anything. I'm surprised you got as much from them as you did." Adam says trying to calm Harry down, which is not his speciality.

"I found more!" Ruth runs into Harry's office breathlessly with shining eyes. "What's matter with you Harry? You know MI-6 don't trust us with anything pertinent, which is why I'm surprised you got it now."

"That doesn't make it any less frustrating! We're on the same side. I have a good mind to call MI-6 and raise hell. They have no right to make these kinds of decisions for me and the people of Britain! They don't understand how dangerous these situations are. These moments are life and death!" Harry says angrily.

"Now, just hold on. It's not going to help if you call MI-6 and scream down the phone. In fact, you'll get less help and information from them. Why not go and have a quiet, clandestine meeting with the head of MI-6? Just make a call and stay calm. Maybe suggest a meeting spot that you can walk to so you can clear your head. We have enough work to be getting on with." Ruth tries to calm Harry's frayed nerves. Harry reaches over and picks up the phone. "Now stay calm."

Harry dials the mobile number of the head of MI-6. "David, we need to talk. No, I don't want to talk on the phone. I want to see you in person. Can we meet in three hours on the Embankment, in our usual place?" "Right, I'll see you then."

"Well done, Harry. That was very polite and professional. Just maintain that when you go and meet him in person." Ruth says gently. She goes back to work and leaves Harry to his thoughts.


	39. Let's Move!

Adam follows Ruth out of Harry's office. "You can calm him down better than anyone else. I don't know why he dislikes MI-6 so much."

"He has some issues with MI-6 from his secondment and he started in the services with the head of MI-6. He's never really gotten along with David. He doesn't always know how to do something to bridge the gap between MI-5 and MI-6. It's a struggle for him. He'd never go back to MI-6 even though he's had the opportunity to go straight to the top there. He's felt betrayed by MI-6 apparently." Ruth sits at her desk and continues to read the file with a highlighter clutched in her hand. "There's much more to this organization then we first thought. Harry needs to see all of this information immediately. We need to get a team out to a couple of locations to see if we can find some of these people. There's all the photos of the people we're looking for." Ruth slips all the pertinent pages into a separate folder to take into Harry's office. "Harry! Look at this! MI-6 had the pictures of everyone in this organization and locations of two of their safe houses."

"Damn it! Get teams out to those locations immediately! Make sure everyone has all the pictures in their possession when they go out to the locations." Harry takes command instantly. "Everyone takes weapons with them. Ruth well done. This was exactly the break we needed."

"All I had to do was some reading. It's what I do all the time. I'm glad it made a difference." Ruth says quietly.

"You always make a difference, Ruth. Adam, you're leading one team and Ros is leading the other team. Get moving." Harry says firmly.

Malcolm, Harry, and Ruth all gather around to watch the operation on the split screen monitor. This part always makes Ruth terribly nervous. Harry stands next to Ruth and puts his hand on her lower back. That simple touch calms her down immediately. Harry always seems to know when Ruth needs that little moment of physical contact. Ruth wants to lean her head on his shoulder, but decides not to. Harry can feel the warmth from Ruth's body seep into his fingertips. Ruth watches as the teams surround the building and then turns her head into Harry's shoulder when they're about to enter the building. This is the scariest part of all for Ruth. She feels Harry run his hand up and down her back. Harry moves his arm up to wrap around Ruth's shoulders and he pulls her into his chest. Malcolm smiles at the new couple. Normally Ruth is buried in Malcolm's arms at this point. She just needs a friendly face to reassure her.

"It's alright, Ruth. They're in. Everyone is safe. The worst part is over." Harry whispers in her ear. He feels Ruth let out a great sigh of relief. Her body relaxes in his arms. When Ruth brings her head up from Harry's chest she looks much more calm.

Ruth watches as the members of MI-5 walk the terrorists out of the two buildings. "Are you going to be interrogating them personally?" Ruth's eyes are wide when she sees how young some of the terrorists are.

"I may talk to the leader of each group, but Adam, Zaf, and Ros will have to handle the others." Harry looks at the number of people coming to MI-5. "The underlings won't the information we need anyway."

"Be careful please," Ruth begs Harry, clutching his arm between her two hands.

"Of course I'll be careful." Harry kisses Ruth's cheek before he heads down to the interrogation rooms.


	40. Why are You Worried?

"Do you really worry about Harry when he goes down to the interrogation rooms?" Malcolm asks, watching Ruth watching Harry walk away.

"Yes, I do worry about him. Harry has an explosive temper at times and that worries me because he's in there with very danger people that could harm him if they wanted. I also worry that he could lose it on a prisoner and cause more harm than he intends. He's so passionate about what he does, but that can be so dangerous. Passion can make your emotions very volatile." Ruth runs her hands over her face and is thankful that she doesn't wear make-up to work.

"Oh Ruth, he'll be fine. He keeps his cool in the interrogation room considering what he has to deal with in there. Don't underestimate how strong his self-control is. He knows what he can do and not do. He knows how far he can push things before he could be in trouble. He's very aware of his duty." Malcolm soothes Ruth.

"There's always someone to pull him out if he needs and he can read his own frustration level and pull himself out of he thinks he needs it." Malcolm tries to reassure Ruth.

"Has he done that before?" Ruth asks as she sits on Malcolm's desk.

"I've seen him pull himself out of a couple interrogations before. He came out of one interrogation and he was so angry. They weren't getting anything out of the suspect. Harry was breathing heavily trying to calm his emotions. He drank a bottle of water and punched a hole in the wall." Malcolm remembers the moment.

"Is that why that part of the wall is a slightly different colour? Isn't that interesting? I never thought Harry's fist was that big. That anger does make me nervous because he holds it in so often. That can't be good for his health." Ruth has such a maternal side and she worries about everyone.

"This job isn't good for anyone's health. I don't know anyone, upon leaving the service, who had their bodies and minds intact, if they get the chance to leave at all. Service members are always surprised they've lasted as long as they have. I'm sure if you ask Harry he didn't expect to still be alive in this profession." Malcolm says gently.


	41. Postponement

Ruth's phone on her desk rings. She quickly answers it. "Hi Harry." "Of course I'll call the head of MI-6 and let him know your meeting needs to be postponed." "Be careful Harry." Ruth puts the receiver down and runs her fingers through her hair. She picks up her phone and dials the number for MI-6. "Sir, unfortunately Sir Harry Pearce will not be able to meet you at the agreed upon time. He's in the interrogation room with suspects at the moment, but he still would like to meet with you at a mutually agreed upon time." "Thank you for your consideration sir. We appreciate it very much." "Sir Harry will call you as soon as he's out of the interrogation room." Ruth puts the phone down again and runs her hands over her face again. "I can't stand being his secretary. Why can't he hire a secretary like every other head of section in the service?" Ruth asks heavily.

"Because anyone he hired just wouldn't compare to you. You manage to outshine everyone Harry even considers hiring. He trusts you implicitly with everything. There's no one else who could ever take your place, Ruth, and Harry know it. He's tried to hire a secretary before and brought them in on a trial basis, but they weren't you. I think he feels guilty hiring someone who would just be a secretary. You multitask so well, Ruth. Harry hates the thought of spending money on a secretary when he could hire another agent to work here. He's very conscious of that fact every time he looks at the budget. He never has all the money he needs to prevent burnout. He has to be so careful with his budget. He can't have a secretary and keep you at MI-5 and we both know who'd he choose." Malcolm says teasingly.

Ruth smiles at Malcolm. She knows that he's right. Harry would never allow Ruth to leave MI-5 even for budgetary reasons.


	42. Was It That Bad?

Harry comes back to the room looking harried, tired, and frazzled. Interrogations take more out of him than they used to. He slumps into the chair at Ruth's desk. "You look tired, Harry. Was the interrogation that bad?" Ruth asks gently.

"It's getting harder and harder to crack the terrorists, even the home grown ones. They won't talk unless it's the last resort and even then some of them won't talk. Some days I feel like I'm getting too old for this job." Harry runs his hands over his face. He looks older in these moments and Ruth hates to see it.

"You got the information you needed, didn't you?" Ruth asks nervously.

"Of course I got the information I wanted. I wouldn't be back up here if I didn't have to information. Everything seems to be under control at the moment. CO-19 and the bomb squad are being sent to the royal residences to locate the bombs." Harry says tiredly. Days like this seem longer than they actually are.

"Can I get you a hot tea, Harry?" Malcolm asks as he watches Ruth and Harry interact.

"That sounds great Malcolm. Thanks." Harry leans forward with his elbows on his knees.

"I'll put a pot of tea on then." Malcolm heads off to the small kitchen.

"Malcolm is very good to you." Ruth wraps her arms around Harry from behind.

"Yes, he's very good to all of us. He always looks out for you. He knows how important you are to me. He knew before I did, I think. He cares about everyone here. He thinks of you like his sister." Harry turns in Ruth's chair to watch Malcolm in the kitchen.

"I know this job is crazy, but I think we're very lucky to have such a tight knit unit who all get along so well. We're very lucky even if our job is difficult." Ruth says gently.

"Oh Ruth, you see things in such an optimistic light. It's nice to have that opinion around in this pessimistic world we seem to inhabit." Harry smiles knowingly.

"Here's the tea you two." Malcolm comes over carrying three cups of tea.

"Thanks Malcolm, I needed this." Harry sighs as he takes one of the cups from Malcolm.

"So, crisis averted then?" Malcolm asks sitting down.

"Crisis averted as far as I know, but in this job there will be another crisis soon enough. It's nice to have a little down time." Harry leans back in Ruth's chair.


	43. Weekend Plans for the Team

"We should have a barbeque this weekend if there isn't a reason for us all to be at work. We all get along so well, but we don't get to spend a lot of time outside of work together." Ruth suggests.

"That sounds great! We could do the barbeque at my house if you want. It has the biggest backyard." Harry suggests.

"Let's plan for it and then if something goes wrong and we have to be at work on Saturday we can always freeze the meat." Ruth tries to plan the weekend.

"What should we do as a main though? Burgers maybe?" Harry thinks about his culinary choices.

"We could do burgers because then we could do beef, chicken, fish, or veggie depending what everyone wants. I do know there is at least one person who is a vegetarian." Ruth thinks about her colleagues and what they eat at work.

"Oh, Ruth always one step ahead of everyone. I suppose if you think burgers are a good idea then that's what we'll do. It gives us lots of options for patties and buns." Harry says already organizing the barbeque.

"We can each bring a side or dessert to make things easier for you, Harry." Malcolm suggests.

"That's a great idea Malcolm! We get the first choice of what we want to bring. I'm bringing my magic chocolate toffee squares." Ruth actually sounds excited to be getting together with her colleagues.

"I think I'll bring a side. I'll bring a strawberry and chèvre salad. It's good at a barbeque." Malcolm thinks carefully.

"That sounds yummy! Can I go home now Harry? It's 4:30 and it doesn't seem like there a lot more for me to do today." Ruth asks quietly.

"Sure Ruth. Don't forget I'm making you dinner tonight, so I'll see you at 6:00 okay?" Harry kisses Ruth's cheek.

"If I were to bring should I bring red or white?" Ruth asks slyly.

"Bring white wine it'll go better with the meal I'm doing." Harry watches Ruth as she collects her items.


	44. Dressing for Dinner

When Ruth gets home Fidget is waiting for her. "Hey Fidge." Ruth drops her purse at the front door and bends down to pet her cat before she sits down. Fidget climbs into her lap. Ruth sets her cat back on the floor. "Come on Fidge. I have to go get ready for dinner at Harry's. You going to help me pick out an outfit?"

Ruth heads upstairs with Fidget trailing behind her. She walks into her closet to try to pick out an outfit for her second date with Harry. She wants to wear a dress, but doesn't want to be too dressy. She finds a royal blue jersey dress she doesn't wear often, but has a sexy neckline and a hi-low hemline.

She strips out of her work clothes and quickly slips into the bath pouring some lavender oil into the hot water. She wraps a large, fluffy towel around her body. She pulls an underwear set out of her drawer in the hopes that tonight she will get to stay over at Harry's. She spritzes her perfume behind her ears, in her cleavage, and on her wrists. She slips her dress over her head and lets it float to her knees. She ties the waist band around her back. She pins her hair back from her face before she re-enters her closet to search for shoes. She finds an elegant pair of black, sling back pumps.


	45. Cooking for Ruth

Harry opens his front door when Ruth's knock is heard. "Hi Ruth. Come on in. I'm just about finished making dinner. Can I take your coat?"

Ruth nods since she can't breathe. Harry has taken his blazer and tie off, unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt, and rolled his sleeves up to his elbows. She saw him this way last night, but it's still breathtaking. He looks casual and relaxed. "You look beautiful, Ruth." Harry pours Ruth a glass of wine from a bottle he already had open and chilled.

"You look very handsome, Harry. What are you making us for dinner?" Ruth sips her wine.

"I made us some homemade sweet and sour chicken with sticky rice and wonton soup. I also did a Japanese green salad. I have sake to go with dinner." Harry walks into the kitchen carrying his glass of wine.

"You've been busy since you got home, Harry. It smells wonderful. Can I ask a favour? I'm not a big fan of sake. Can I have green tea instead?" Ruth asks sitting down at the kitchen table. She watches Harry move around the kitchen.

Harry puts green tea on to steep. He puts a plate of green salad in front of Ruth. "Do you want chopstick or cutlery?" Harry asks as he sets his salad down.

"Um, chopsticks." Ruth says politely.

Harry grabs two sets of chopsticks as well as drinks for both of them. He sits down across from Ruth and passes her a set of chopsticks. Ruth's fingertips brush Harry's palm gently. "Enjoy," Harry says sweetly.

Ruth elegantly wields her chopsticks. She has such trouble being tidy when she eats with chopsticks usually. She sets her sticks down to sip her green tea. The smell of the warm wonton soup and sweet and sour chicken makes the house seem cosy.


	46. Phone Call Interruption

Ruth jumps when the phone rings.

"Damn it," Harry says gruffly. He pushes his chair back and answers the phone. "Hi Catherine. How are you?" "I'd love to see you. Tonight's not good. My girlfriend is here for dinner." "Yes, you'll meet her one day." "Listen, we're having a barbeque here on Saturday. Why don't you come?" "I'm glad you're home, Catherine. I love you." Harry comes and sits back down at the table.

"You know if Catherine wanted to come over tonight I could have gone home after dinner. Your daughter is just as important as I am." Ruth says firmly.

"I know that, Ruth. Catherine didn't want to come tonight. She just got back from Israel today. I'll see her Saturday at the barbeque. She said she wanted to meet you. What do you think about meeting her on Saturday before the barbeque?" Harry asks as he ladles wonton soup into two bowls.

"I think you need to spend some time just you and Catherine. Besides, this relationship is relatively new. Don't you want to wait until we're more settled to introduce me to your daughter?" Ruth asks with concern in her voice. She's worried about meeting Harry's daughter.

"Ruth, I wouldn't have asked you to meet Catherine if I didn't think we were ready or if I didn't think we were going to make it. Catherine has always been critical of my love life. She always thought that I would be better off if I was in a stable relationship. I've talked to her about you. I really think she'd like to meet you." Harry says calmly.

"if you really want me to meet Catherine on Saturday then I will. It seems to be very important to you." Ruth sips her soup.

"It's important to me because you and Catherine are very important to me. I want the two of you to get along. Catherine hates when I keep secrets from her, so the sooner the two of you meet the better." Harry watches Ruth sip her green tea.

Ruth smiles and reaches across the table for Harry's hand. "If this is that important to you and you feel this strongly about me meeting Catherine, I'll be here early on Saturday."

"Good, I am glad you're meeting Catherine. I'm sure the two of you will get along wonderfully. You've got a lot in common." Harry tells Ruth.


	47. You Called Me Your Girlfriend

"That's the first time you've called me your girlfriend. It's nice to hear." Ruth sets her empty soup bowl aside.

"Well, any other term didn't quite seem quite right. Catherine liked that I called you my girlfriend, actually. It's been a long time since I called anyone my girlfriend. Catherine said I must be growing up." Harry tells Ruth.

"I don't mind the tern girlfriend, in fact, I think it's sweet. I haven't been called someone's girlfriend for a long time and it's easier to tell you daughter you have a girlfriend than to say you have a lover, hey?" Ruth teases Harry. She knows he has trouble talking to his children.

"Lover is such a tawdry term. I would never refer to you that way. You are so much more than that. That's why I called you my girlfriend because I wanted you and Catherine to know how important you are to me." Harry picks up the soup bowls and sets them in the sink. He brings the plates of sweet and sour chicken and sticky rice over.

"I know how important I am I you. You made it perfectly clear last night. We don't need terms like girlfriend to tell how important we are to each other. Do you feel you need to prove you feelings to me?" Ruth asks gently.

"I don't know. I suppose I just want you to know everything I have floating around in my head. There's so much I want to tell you. I suppose I'm not as secure in myself as some people suppose I am." Harry says tiredly. Ruth notes how tidily Harry wields his chopsticks.

"You don't need to be insecure, Harry. I told you last night you are sexy and handsome and I care so much about you. You are the most special person to me. I love you, Harry." Ruth grasps Harry's hand.

Harry finds himself unable to meet Ruth's intense eyes. He's still unsure of himself in his personal relationship with Ruth, even though he pushed for this relationship to take shape. Ruth is so reassuring to him, but sometimes he feels so insecure in himself that her reassurances don't help.

Ruth notices that Harry hasn't answered her or even believed her. She sets her chopsticks down and stands up. She goes over to Harry and kneels next to him. "Harry look at me." Ruth puts her hand on Harry's knee. "What are you so concerned about? There's something going on. What is it? You can tell me. You should be able to tell me anything. I've never seen you like this before. We can make this work if's that's what you're concerned about. Talk to me." Ruth stands up and sits on Harry's lap. Harry wraps his arms around Ruth and pulls her as close as possible. Harry turns his face into Ruth's neck. "I love you, Harry, but I don't understand where this insecurity is coming from. You know me and we get along well, so what's the concern?"

"Oh Ruth, I don't expect you to understand unless I tell you. I do have some fears, more than you'd expect. I haven't considered being in a serious relationship since I was with Jane and Juliet. I don't want to blow this. Being part of a couple again terrifies me. I'm terrible in relationships and my temper doesn't help. I tend to give up too easily, but I don't want to do that this time." Harry's voice is thick with emotion.

Ruth kisses Harry's forehead. "Look at me Harry. You need to stop worrying. Whatever happens we'll figure it out together. Just think of all the things we do at work that we survive. We can do this. Do you trust me?"

"Of course, I trust you implicitly. This is not about trust, Ruth. I will never stop worrying. I so want this to be perfect." Harry looks seriously at Ruth.

"Well, it's never going to be perfect, especially with this job. We have to just to the best we can. I believe in you, Harry, even if you don't believe in yourself."

Harry kisses Ruth gently, knowing she's right. Ruth cuddles against Harry. "Shall I put dinner in to reheat? It's probably cold by now."

"Sure. Are you okay now?" Ruth asks as she stands up.

"Yeah, just a crisis of confidence. I'll be fine." Harry picks the plates up and puts them in the microwave one at a time.

While Harry is reheating their dinner Ruth moves her chair as near to Harry's chair as possible. She wants to make him feel as comfortable as possible. Last night was perfect and she wants the comfort from last night back. She slips her heels off leaving her in her bare feet. Harry sets the meal back down in front of Ruth and he sits down reaching for Ruth's hand. Ruth starts to eat and she looks right at Harry as she runs her foot up Harry's leg inside his trousers. Harry raises his eyebrows at her. She's been very bold over the past 24 hours. She manages to maintain her composure as she runs her toes over Harry's calf.


	48. Simple Dessert and Tea

Harry puts tea on for the two of them after dinner. He goes to the freezer and pulls a tub of ice cream out. "Would you like some dessert?"

"What kind of ice cream do you have?" Ruth asks peering at the label on the tub.

"Pralines and cream. I hope you like it." Harry says with concern in his voice.

"Ooh, love it. Give me a couple of really large scoops then if you're serving." Ruth smiles as the kettle boils and Harry bustles around the kitchen. The situation is so domestic and perfect.

Harry gets two bowls and an ice cream scoop. He sets a cup of tea and a big bowl of ice cream in front of Ruth. He soon joins her and begins to eat his ice cream. He instantly notices how blissful and elegant Ruth looks. Every moment he spends in Ruth's presence he is less and less able to maintain control. He hopes she's planning to stay.

Ruth is deliberately being very slow and sensual while she eats her ice cream because she knows Harry is watching her. She wants him to want her as much as she wants him.

Now that Harry has felt Ruth's lips on him he can't help but watch them as often as possible and wait for the moment when he can kiss them again. Just as Harry is watching Ruth, Ruth is watching Harry. He is more aggressive and quicker at eating his ice cream. They both finish their ice cream at the same time which tells Ruth Harry had more ice cream then she did. Only Harry can look as masculine as he does now holding a teacup.


	49. Massage and Relaxation

"Why don't we go sit in the living room?" Harry asks wanting an excuse to get closer to Ruth.

"Sure," Ruth picks up her teacup and follows Harry into the living room. She watches Harry sit casually on the sofa and wait for Ruth to join him. As Ruth sits down right next to Harry he notices how long and languid her legs are as she curls her legs around her body. She looks calm and comfortable which is very rare. Ruth quickly finishes her hot tea. The meal isn't the end of their night. Ruth can tell what Harry's thinking just from the look on his face.

Harry holds Ruth gently in his arms and Ruth cuddles against Harry. Harry sighs contentedly as he sets his empty cup down on the side table.

"Are you okay, Harry?" Ruth asks with concern in her voice. She wants him to be happy.

"I'm more than okay, Ruth. That wasn't a heavy sigh. It was a content sigh." Harry kisses the top of Ruth's head.

Ruth strokes the side of Harry's face. She pulls his face down to kiss him. Harry still can't quite believe he's getting this opportunity. As his eyes close he can feel Ruth run her tongue over his lips. His lips are supple, which surprised last night and now. His kisses are aggressive and he presses his lips firmly against Ruth's. Harry's lips fall away from Ruth's and kiss down the side of her face to her neck. Ruth gasps but reminds Harry, "Be careful where you mark me, please."

Harry chuckles deep in his chest. As Ruth lies back on the couch Harry goes with her, but he groans as he feels his back stretch awkwardly.

"What's wrong Harry?" Ruth asks running her fingers over Harry's back.

"My back's bothering me a little bit." Harry winces in pain. He doesn't want to tell her it is because of last night.

"I can fix that. Go up to your room, take your shirt off, and lay on your tummy. I'll be right up." Ruth kisses Harry gently.

Harry doesn't argue. His back has been bothering him all day despite his new ergonomic chair. "First door on the left." Harry whispers before he heads upstairs. He strips his shirt and dress pants off and lies down on his bed.

Downstairs Ruth has put the massage oil she tucked in her purse this morning in the microwave briefly. She pulls the warm oil out and slowly climbs the stairs. She sets the massage oil down gently when she enters Harry's bedroom. She strips her dress off and picks up the massage oil before she climbs on the bed. "Let's see what I can do." Ruth whispers in Harry's ear as she straddles his hips. She squirts some oil onto Harry's back and begins to work on his shoulders. She can feel all the tension in his shoulders. She uses the heels of her hands to press on the knots. Harry groans into his pillow when Ruth finds a particularly sensitive spot. "Sorry." Ruth winces.

"That's okay. It feels better actually. I know you're not hurting me on purpose." Harry mumbles into his pillow.

Ruth scooches down and continues to massage Harry's back. He looks as if he's about to fall asleep. Ruth pushes firmly on Harry's lower back just above his boxer briefs. Harry can feel Ruth's bare legs against his. He can just see Ruth with his head sideways. She's wearing a purple bra with black lace trim. Ruth smiles when she sees how relaxed he looks, especially after the stress of today. "Feel better?" Ruth asks as she runs her hands just under the waistband of Harry's boxer briefs, right down to the bottom of his back.

"Mmhm," Harry mumbles sleepily.

"Don't fall asleep yet. Let me just grab a towel and then I'll do your front." Ruth swings her leg over Harry and walks into the bathroom to grab a large towel. She spreads the towel out on the bed. "Alright, roll over onto the towel."

Harry rolls over onto the towel. Ruth instantly notices his arousal. She goes to straddle Harry's hips again. "Do you have to sit like that?" Harry asks breathlessly.

"Yes, I do. Don't worry about it. Just let me work please." Ruth smiles. She knows what Harry's concern is. She settles over Harry and tries not to settle right down on him. She pours a little bit of massage oil on his chest. She begins to work on his chest. She notices that Harry's eyes are beginning to close. "Stay with me."

"Too relaxed. Can't stay awake." Harry murmurs.

Ruth can see he's almost asleep. She smirks before she lowers herself onto Harry's arousal and rolls her hips.

Harry's eyes snap open when he feels Ruth's actions. "That's naughty, Ruth."

"No one ever said I was proper all the time." Ruth smiles cheekily. "It kept you awake didn't it?"

"Yes, it certainly kept me awake. I couldn't sleep now if I tried." Harry says huskily.

"Good, now watch me. I don't want you to miss anything. I'll be upset if you aren't watching me." Ruth teases Harry. She reaches around her back and unclasps her bra. She tosses the undergarment somewhere behind her. She watches Harry's eyes widen at her boldness. She leans forward and kisses Harry pressing her body against his. Harry reaches out and runs his fingers over the black lace of Ruth's underwear. Ruth seductively rolls her hips across Harry's erection.

"My God Ruth, do you have any idea what you do to me?" Harry's voice catches in his throat.

"I think I do." Ruth says cheekily. She stands up carefully on the bed and shimmies out of her underwear. Harry reaches up to clutch at Ruth and pulls her down next to him.

"Lay down on the bed for me." Harry whispers huskily as his eyes rove over Ruth's body.

Ruth lies down on the bed with her head on Harry's pillow. Harry slips his boxers off before he moves back towards Ruth. He kisses her lips gently before he moves down her body. Harry loves her breasts and he makes sure she knows. He delicately kisses down her stomach to her lower curls. He looks at Ruth and loves the look on her face. He lowers his tongue into her folds. Ruth gasps loudly. Harry has a very talented tongue and he knows it. She wants to clamp her knees around his head, but she wants to be kind. She puts her hands on the back of his head and pushes his tongue further into her folds.

Harry pulls up from Ruth's folds for a moment. He plunges his fingers into her and whispers, "Come for me, Ruth. Let go and enjoy."

Ruth cries out as she comes with Harry's fingers pumping into her. Ruth pulls Harry back up to her and kisses him hard. "You're wonderful, Harry. Make love to me the way only you can."

"You're beautiful, Ruth." Harry whispers as he enters Ruth very gently. She feels tighter than last night. Ruth gasps at the feeling of Harry inside her. They are in sync and Ruth rolls her hips up to meet Harry on every stroke. Ruth draws Harry down to kiss her again. She slips her tongue into Harry's mouth. Their tongues wrap around each other. Harry loves to kiss Ruth. He continues to pump, but keeps kissing her. In the quiet, with the union of bodies, Harry can hear Scarlet moving around downstairs. Ruth pulls away from the kiss and cries out as she comes again. Ruth clenches around Harry as she comes and Harry comes right after. Harry collapses on top of Ruth and kisses her cheek.

* * *

 **Sorry to be so long between updates! We had a bad storm on the west coast, so I was without internet for a couple of days!**


	50. Harry's Dog

Ruth strokes Harry's hair as he catches his breath. Scarlet noses the bedroom door open and comes into the room. Harry's eyes are closed, but Ruth notices her come in. "Your dog is here."

Harry groans and pushes himself up to look over the side of the bed. "Scarlet in your basket." Harry commands. He rolls off of Ruth and lies next to her with his arm around her waist.

"Harry, does Scarlet normally sleep on your bed?" Ruth asks as she watches the little dog walk around the room and flop into the basket on Harry's side of the bed. The little dog looks at Ruth with disdain.

"Yes, normally she does sleep on the bed. She's probably a little bit upset that someone has taken her place." Harry yawns.

"If she normally sleeps on the bed, let her sleep on the bed. I don't mind at all. She's a sweet little dog." Ruth says as she watches Scarlet. "Come on Scarlet. Come on girl." The little dog wags her tail and jumps up on the bench at the end of the bed before she jumps up on the bed. She walks over to Harry and Ruth and cuddles between them. She always sleeps next to Harry. Ruth smiles down on the little dog and scratches her behind the ears. Scarlet growls at Ruth.

"Hey now, what's up with you? It's Ruth. You like Ruth. She's not taking your place. She likes you. Be nice to her. If you're not nice you can just sleep on the floor." Harry says firmly. Scarlet licks Harry's face. "Yeah, yeah, you're sweet, now be nice. She let you up on the bed in the first place." Harry pulls Scarlet gently towards him.

Ruth watches Harry and Scarlet interact with each other. It's almost as if Scarlet can understand what Harry is saying. Scarlet walks over to Ruth who holds her hand out towards Scarlet. The little dog sniffs her hand and then ducks under her hand to be scratched. "So, you've decided you like me now, have you? Silly girl, your daddy will always care about you. Now settle down." Ruth snuggles into Harry's arms and she lets Scarlet settle next to her.

Harry smiles at Ruth's actions. "Are you okay with her there?" Harry asks quietly.

"She's fine. She's only little. I'm just afraid I'm going to roll on her in the night." Ruth says sleepily.

"She'll move if you shift during the night. She's very aware of whoever's in bed. She's been sleeping on the bed since she was a puppy." Harry murmurs tiredly.

"You're just a softie, Harry. Would your kids believe that you let your dog sleep on your bed?" Ruth asks as Scarlet finally settles.

"I don't think even Jane would believe it. I wouldn't even allow my kids to have a dog. I would never have allowed the dog to sleep on the bed, but Scarlet is special. She got me through my darkest days. My kids were so upset when they were told they couldn't have a dog. They had hamsters of guinea pigs so I didn't have to walk their dog. I didn't want to be responsible for their pet." Harry holds Ruth in his arms and can just feel Scarlet curled into Ruth's side.


	51. Alarms and Discretion

"Is the alarm set?" Ruth murmurs as she begins to fall asleep.

"My alarm is perpetually set. I've never been able to sleep in anyway. I spent too much time in the army to ever be able to have a lie in." Harry kisses Ruth's shoulder.

"I just don't want to be late to work. I got questions and looks from our colleagues today and we were on time. It didn't help that you were whistling after lunch! You're never that chipper at work! You sort of gave the game away with your mood today. I know that I said I was okay with everyone knowing we're a couple, and I am, but because of your behaviour today everyone on the grid knows you got lucky last night! Can't you at least try and be discreet?" Ruth rolls over to face Harry. Scarlet shifts down to the bottom of the bed.

"Discretion is boring. I was flying high today. Men like to flaunt a little bit even if they don't share all the details with anyone else. No one would have guessed unless you started getting physical with me. I'll start being more discreet, though. I think that if the grid is quiet tomorrow both of us are going to be asked questions about our relationship. Our colleagues are curious." Harry runs his fingers through Ruth's hair.

"I'm expecting the questions with the way the two of us behaved today. We might as well have been back in grade school. It was like having to tell my family that I was in a relationship. I don't know whether to tell my mother about us or not. I'm concerned about her reaction." Ruth whispers desperately in the dark.

"I told Catherine about you, so Graham must know about you by now. If Graham knows the he definitely told Jane. I'm surprised that she hasn't called me yet. Normally she wouldn't wait this long to berate me. It ought to be interesting. We'll see what happens when Catherine comes on Saturday."


	52. Simple Erraands

"Will you come grocery shopping with me tomorrow? I'll need help with the food for the barbeque. I'll buy you dinner for your trouble." Harry promises Ruth.

"Alright, I'll come with you, but at least you don't have to get very many sides. We have to remember to ask everyone else what they're bringing tomorrow." Ruth begins to plan the weekend.

"I think I'll buy some crisps and probably some ice cream. Those are two things people don't tend to bring to barbeques." Harry thinks carefully.

"I'll get a list going in the morning. Does your dog always snore like that?" Ruth asks as she smirks at Scarlet who's asleep at Ruth's feet.

"Only if she's crushed her nose into her paws or the duvet." Harry nudges Scarlet gently with his foot. "Now, get some sleep. Tomorrow's going to be busy." Scarlet stops snoring when Harry bumps her.

Normally Ruth doesn't sleep well in strange homes or hotels, but because she's in Harry's house she's much more relaxed. Ruth quickly falls asleep after the busyness of the day. Even with the street lights of London pouring in through the slats of the blinds both Harry and Ruth are soon asleep.


	53. Breakfast at Harry's

Ruth wakes up the next morning to the smell of coffee wafting through the house. Scarlet isn't sleeping on the bed anymore. Ruth crawls out of bed and pulls her nightgown on. She opens the blinds and looks down into Harry's back garden. His garden is a typical English country garden: unkempt and growing wild. She slowly walks down the stairs to the kitchen to find Harry. "Hey, I was surprised when I didn't wake up next to you."

"Scarlet woke me up early to go out. I haven't been up for very long, but you'll soon learn that Scarlet controls when I get up. There's coffee on if you want some. What do you want for breakfast?" Harry sips his coffee and watches as Scarlet comes sprinting in through the doggie door and slides across the tile floor.

Ruth laughs at Scarlet. She's a funny little dog, full of energy. "I don't know what I want for breakfast. What do you suggest?"

"I do make a fairly nice omelette. I could whip up a Denver omelette and some hashbrowns." Harry looks in his fridge to see what he can make.

"Only if I can make a fruit salad to go with it." Ruth doesn't want Harry to do all the work for breakfast.

"Sure, see what you can find in the fridge. I'm not sure what fruit is in there." Harry has already collected the ingredients for his omelette.

Ruth slices some of the fruit in Harry's fridge into a bowl. "All done," Ruth says with a smile.

"It looks wonderful. There's small bowls in the cupboard to the left of the sink." Harry says as he mixes the eggs with milk, salt, pepper, and paprika.

Ruth is relaxed in Harry's house which surprises her slightly. She finds bowls and spoons and sets the table for breakfast. She pours herself a glass of orange juice and warms up her coffee. "Do you want orange juice Harry?" Ruth watches Harry closely.

"No thanks Ruth. I'll stick with coffee. I don't like orange juice particularly. I only got it because Catherine was staying and she likes orange juice for breakfast." Harry adds the filling to the omelette.


End file.
